Feed-out station for wire and the like



March 8, 1960 o; HAUGWITZ FEED-OUT STATION FOR WIRE AND THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1958 States Unite FEED-OUT STATION F OR WIRE AND THE LIKE Otto Hangwitz, La Celle Saint-Cloud, France, assignor to Societe Anonyme Geoffroy-Delore, Paris, France, a French company This invention relates to systems for feeding continuous, flexible, elongated elements such as thread, wire and the like. Such elements will hereinafter be referred to, both in the specification and claims, as threadlike elements.

An important object of the invention is to provide, at a high-speed feed-out station for a threadlike element, improved safety means for severing the element at a predetermined point of its path in case of an abnormally high tension arising in the element.

In the manufacture of electrical conductor cables and the like it is usual to feed out a wire or other threadlike element from a stationary reel on which the element is coiled, along a path extending generally axially from the reel by exerting a pulling force on said element. Such a method permits the attainment of high feed-out velocities. However, feed-out stations operating on this principle are open to the defect that the element may jam for some reason on the coil and a momentarily high resistance is opposed to the unreeling of the element, so that the element will break at some unpredictable point between the reel and the output apparatus to which the element is being fed. Means are usually provided for immediately arresting the operation of the output apparatus in response to such an occurrence. However the apparatus will not stop instantaneously, so that the broken end of the element will frequently have entered the output apparatus by the time the latter has been stopped and Will not be accessible for reconnecting it with the corresponding end extending from the reel. The broken end of the element which has entered the output apparatus can be responsible for serious disturbances in the subsequent stages of the manufacturing or treating process. It would, therefore, be desirable to ensure that inevitable breakage of the threadlike element should always occur at a predetermined distance from the feed-out station such that the broken end thereof will remain accessible at the time the output apparatus has been stopped. It is a specific object of the present invention to achieve this result by particularly simple and reliable means.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided in a feed-out station for a threadlike element of the type specified, real means on which said element is coiled, means for continuously pulling the element from the coil, a movable guide member having a surface engaged by the element so as to be subjected to a continuous force therefrom as the element is being pulled, said force tending to move said guide member to a displaced position, means applying a resilient biassing force to the member normally to prevent movement thereof of said displaced position, and cutter means positioned to be engaged by said element on movement of the guide member to said displaced position to out said element.

The above and further objects, aspects and features of the invention will appear as the disclosure proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated 2,927,416 Patented Mar. 8, 1960,

ice

for purpose of illustration but not of limitation. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a simplified view in axial section showing one half of a feed-out station according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a modified construction using a rotary crown element on the reel;

Fig. 3 is a more detailed view of the guiding and cutting arrangements; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic end view illustrating the manner in which a plurality of rotatable reel crowns of the type shown in Fig. 2 may be driven from a common drive.

Referring first to Fig. 1, wherein a particularly simple form of the invention is illustrated, the reel assembly comprises a cylindrical core or hub 1 secured to a support frame 2. A reel 3 carrying a coil of wire or other threadlike element thereon, as indicated by the dotted line, is fitted around the core 1. Removably retained stationarily within the core 1, egg. by means of a springactuated ball 5 as shown, is a tubular member 4 which projects beyond one axial end of the reel assembly. An annular crown member 6 extending radially from the tubular member has a rounded, smoothly polished, peripheral surface projecting around the end of the reel 3 so as to provide a continuous outlet path for the threadlike element as will presently appear.

The projecting outer end 7 of the tubular member 4 (also see Fig. 3) is formed to a sharply bevelled cutting edge. Mounted for sliding displacement upon the tube 4 near said outer end of it is a sleevelike guide member 8 having its axially outward end formed to provide a rounded, smoothly surfaced, outwardly projecting annular flange 8. The sliding displacement of sleeve 8 relative to tube 4 is limited in both directions by a screw stud 11 engaging the tube and acting in a slot of the sleeve. The sleeve 4 is biassed in an axial direction away from the reel assembly by a coil spring 9 surrounding the sleeve and having one end seated in the rounded annular end flange 8 of the sleeve. The opposite end of the spring 9 is seated in a rectangular recessed cut out in one or more tapered diametric flanges such as 10 secured to the tube 4 and connected with the crown member 6. In the position illustrated, the cutting edge 7 of the tube is concealed by the flange 8 and is thus inoperative. As the threadlike element 12 is pulled outwards, it is reeled off the reel 3 while revolving about the periphery of crown 6, passes around the rounded flange of sleeve 8, into the tube 4 and issues out the opposite end of said tube. A surrounding casing including a cylindrical portion 13 and a conical portion 14 prevent the tendency of the wire to bulge or balloon out. The casing portions 13 and 14 are interconnected by hinge means as shown at 15 whereby the casing can readily be opened for replacing the reel.

The need often arises of controllably retarding the feed of the threadlike element, and this has generally been accomplished heretofore by comparatively complicated and expensive devices involving rollers or the like which require lubrication and other servicing. The present invention includes the provision of simple and eflicient means for such purpose, free of any moving parts. As shown, a plate 17 is urged by a coil spring 18, substantially weaker than is the aforementioned coil spring 9, and adjustable in compression by means of a screw 19 threaded into the tip of the cone casing 14. The plate 17 acts to press the wire 12 against the rounded flange surface of the sleeve 8. The plate 17 and the flange of sleeve 8 are made of or lined with hard, wear resistant material. In any event the wire revolves as it is fed so that it exerts uniform wear throughout the surface of plate 17 which therefore retains a flat smooth condition throughout its service life. It will be noted moreover that both the sleeve 8 and the plate 17 are readily replaceable.

Should the wire 12 be momentarily exposed to abnormally high tension,.it will assume the position indicated in dash lines-,causing the sleeve 8 to slide along the tube- 4 and thereby to uncover the bevelled cutting end of thetube 7 whereby the wire is cut, as shown in Fig. 3. The respective strengths of springs 9 and 18 are so selected with regard to each other that the sleeve will not be displaced by the tension force prevalent under normal: operating conditions but will only be moved when the wire tension attains a value slightly less than that of its tensile yield point. Hence, with the feedout station positioned a distance from the output apparatus to which the wire is to be fed, greater than the length of wire taken up by said apparatus during the period elapsing from the time at which the control means for said apparatus is disabled by conventional automatic means, not shown, such as switch contacts which may be operated by movement of the sleeve 8, to the time at which the apparatus is actually brought to a standstill, it is ensured that the free end of the wire will remain conveniently and can be quickly reconnected with the free end protruding from the reel assembly. The reel assembly illustrated in Fig. 1 just described, including a stationary output crown member 6, is practically usable only in those cases where the ratio of the outer diameter of the reel flange to the diameter of the core is not greater than a value of about 1.8. Where reels having a larger diameter ratio are to be used, it is found that a rotatable output crown member must be used for proper operation, with said crown member being driven in the same direction as that in which the wire is rotated as it is fed out. Fig. 2 illustrates a feedout station according to the invention constructed in this manner. Similar reference numbers are used to designate corresponding components in Figs. 1 and 2 so that only those elements of Fig. 2. that diifer from Fig. 1 require description.

In Fig. 2 the crown member 6 is removably secured on one end of a tubular shaft 21 the opposite end of which, beyond the support 2, has a drive pulley splined thereon receiving a drive belt 2% driven from any suitable source, not shown. The tubular shaft 21 is rotatably supported in suitable bearing means both with respect to the inner tubular member 4 and with respect to the surrounding reel core 1. In other respects, as already indicated, the arrangement of Fig. 2 may be entirely similar to that described in connection with Fig. 1.

In the manufacture of twisted rope-like assemblies, such as electric cable conductors, from individual threadlike elements or wires of the kind contemplated in the present invention, a plurality of such individual elements or strands are simultaneously twisted together in a rotary twisting frame, as described in certain co-pending applications by the same applicant. The individual elements are fed out from respective reels all positioned at a central feed-out station, and heretofore such feed-out stations were frequently required to assume very large transverse dimensions because of the space required to feed each wire from its particular reel in a general direction that was radial to the reel. On the other hand, the improved feed-out assembly including a safety cut-off provision according to the invention makes it possible to utilize feed-out stations for cable twisting plants, in which each individual wire or strand is fed out axially from its reel as explained above. This in turn substantially reduces the size of the feed-out station required in order to feed a given number of strands to a cable twisting frame. Thus, the respective feed-out assemblies, egg. of the type shown in Fig. 2, can be supported from a common stand or frame 2 with the cylindrical casings l3 thereof in substantially juxtaposed relation.

Fig. 4 illustrates in end view the setaup that may be mentor a re dut station i which a number of strands anemia '4. are to be fed to a cable twisting frame (not shown) in superimposed layers, including a six-strand inner layer and a twelve-strand outer layer, with the direction of twist imparted to the strands being opposed as between the two layers. The crown members 6 of the respective reel assemblies are all driven through a common drive belt 29 from a master drive pulley 21 driven e.g. by an electric motor. It will be noted that the drive belt 20 is so trained along a circuitous path about the drive pulleys of the respective crown members that all the crown members feeding the strands of the inner layer are, rotated in one direction (e.g. counterclockwise assuming the master pulley 21 is rotated clockwise) while all the crown members feeding the outer layer strands are rotated in the Opposite direction (clockwise). While Fig. 4 for simplicity merely shows the crown members such as 6 of the respective feed-out reel assemblies and the drive pulleys thereof, it will be understood that said feed-out reel assemblies would actually each be similar to the assembly shown in Fig. 2, all said assemblies being mounted on a common stand 2 according to the concentric pattern clearly apparent from Fig. 4. The axes of all said assemblies may be generally parallel, or they may all converge symmetrically towards an input die or guide (not shown) leading to the twisting frame. Further, distributor grilles may be provided for feeding the respective strands towards said input die.

As previously mentioned herein, any suitable means may be provided for automatically arresting the operation of the output apparatus, such as a twisting frame in the instance now being described, on breakage of a strand. Thus a set of insulated contact bars may be provided adjacent the throwing frame, so positioned that in case of breakage of a strand the loose end of wire will drop into contact with a related bar thereby completing an emergency circuit acting to disable the apparatus. Advantageously, each individual feed-out reel assembly may be insulated and connected in an individual warning circuit, whereby the particular feed-out reel in which the breakage occurred can be identified.

It will be evident that various further modifications and changes may be made in the illustrated apparatus, as by combination thereof with conventional means wellknown to those familiar with the cable-twisting and related arts, without exceeding the scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

l. In a feed-out device for a threadlike element, in combination, a reel having said element coiled thereon and means defining an axial passage through said reel, a tubular axially movable guide member in axial alignment with said passage and including a peripheral surface, said element being passed from the periphery of said reel over and around said surface and into and through said tubular guide member and said passage, whereby said element exerts a pressure on said surface tending to move said guide member axially to a displaced position, bias means normally preventing movement of said member, and cutter means positioned to be engaged by said element on said guide member being moved to its displaced position in response to said pressure exceed: ing a predetermined value as determined by said bias means.

2. In the combination claimed in claim 1, a tube ex.- tending through said reel and defining said axial passage, and means mounting said tubular guide member for limited axial movement on said tube.

3. In the combination claimed in claim 1, a tube extending through said reel and defining said axial passage therethrough, means mounting said tubular guide member for limited axial movement on said tube, an annular and cutt ng g n an outer n of a u pr iding s id cu te m ans- 4- In th combination claimed in cl im 1. a rounded peripheral end flange on said guide member providing said surface.

5. In the combination claimed in claim 1, a tube extending through said reel and defining said axial passage therethrough, means mounting said tubular guide member for limited axial movement on said tube an annular cutting edge on an outer end of said tube providing cutter means, and a coil spring surrounding said tube and seated against said member to provide said bias means.

6. In the combination claimed in claim 1, a crown member engaging an end of said reel and having a smooth peripheral surface for passing said element from the pe riphery of the reel.

7. In the combination claimed in claim 1, a crown member mounted for rotation relatively to the reel coaxially therewith adjacent an end of said reel and having a smooth peripheral surface for passing said element from the reel periphery, and means for driving said crown member in rotation simultaneously as said pulling force is exerted on said element.

8. In the combination claimed in claim 1, a generally cylindrico-conical casing coaxially surrounding said reel, said guide member and said cutter means thereby to limit radially outward expansion of said element between the periphery of the reel and said guide member surface.

9. In the combination claimed in claim 1, an adjustably biased presser member for applying said element 0 against said surface of the guide member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 2,430,507 Hickok Nov. 11, 1947 2,478,927 Carter Aug. 16, 1949 2,556,290 Nelson June 12, 1951 2,774,423 Griset Dec. 18, 1956 

